New Ulm weekly review., 1887-08-24
Mr.. Jenif fer's Inheritan ce.|

tied q property! The lawyers 5 letter
announcing the fact lay before him,
beside the breakfast which he had for
gotten in the thought OF this unex-
pected good fortune. 1t was not a
meagre breakfast, although Mr.. Jeni-
Ter, at five and forty was still only a
curate on a stipend Of e15o per an
mum, for through the greater part OF
his twenty years in holy orders he
had acted On the principles that if he
gave his time to the poor it was as
much as they could expect, and so if
they called Parson Jenifer .shard'
and "close," and preferred going to
the Vicar-why, that was not his
fault.
His inheritance consisted in good
house and several hundreds year,
and he sat and thought over the dif-
ference this would make in his future
No more for him the daily service,
read as part OF the days work-no
more visiting OF thriftless complain
ing, muddling poor, with whom ne
was completely out OF touch--in a
word, no more drudgery!
Twenty years Of drudgery! That
was what his life amounted to. Not
for him the spirit of love that softens
and the high thoughts that sanctify
daily tasks; only the grudging gift Of
obligatory toll. 1t was written on his
face, in lines marked by 20 years mo,
not quite 2O-he had thought differ
emily at frst-but by more than a.
dozen years of discomfort and repin-
ing. It was a pity, too, for the face
was one OF great possibilities, clouded
over by the dullness Of heart that
fails to see through the service the
Master who is served.
Even now he had no regret for the
kind old friend who had left him a
goodly share OF his property; no
thought that the hand which had ever
/ been ready to help him and many an
other was helpless now henceforth;
no spirit of gratitude for this last
. loving gift-only q selfish pleasure in
his own good luck and feeling of dis
content that it had been so long in
coming. And thus thinking he rose
and went to see his Vicar to make ar.
rangements for the visit to the lawyer,
which must precede his taking pos
session OF his new inheritance.
He found no difficulty in obtaining
leave of absence for the purpose. The
Vicar was a kind and open-hearted
man and was pleased at his curate's
unexpected prosperity.
t.Well, Jenifer," he said, II am very
glad for you, though you can't appre-
,ciate it as much as if you had wife
and family dependent on you. At
the same you have my hearty con
:gratulations."
"Ah,," said Mr.. Jenifer, ssthings gen.
orally come too late. Now if this had
happened when was ten years young
#er, what a difference it would have
made to mep'
tBut your friends life was a very
valuable one to many was it not?"
said the Vicar. "From all that have
heard OF him, I should think that
even now there will be plenty Of people
to say chat the end has come ten
years too soon, rather than too late"
''Why, he was nearly nineJyW SAID
Jenifer, as if the fact were rather q re-
proach to the old man Then he has
ssened away to make his preparations
for orleaving, :.
The Wears wife came in as the Gu.
rate went out. She efounl her husband
gazing rather sadly into the dull
street. %t.G
MARY, my DEAR" he said, sit is my
belief that after the miracles of the
Aoaves and fishes there were some
among the five thousand who COM
.plained tnat the bread was stale and
tthe fish not so fresh as it might have
BEEN GA
Meanwhile Clement Jenifer was
speeding on to London to see his law
Yer. He found there was one condi-
tion which he must fulfill before he
could Gail himself master OF the house
and income. Mr.. Dacre had only will
ed Waterdell Hall to him under the
proviso that he should pass one night
in the house entirely alone.
Mr.. Jenifer laughed when this clause
was read to him.
That snot a very hard thing to do,"
sSald he. But was Mr.. Dacre'S brain
ssoftening when he made his wil?"
Not at all, answered the lawyer
shortly. ''Any onewho saw Mr.. Dacre
mn his last hour will tell you that
the dear old mans mind was as clear
to the end as in his best days. When
you go to Waterdell you will not
please your poor neighbors there ii
YOU suggest to them that the man
who was 50 universally beloved was
crazy. Ihave no doubt this letter.
which he instructed me ito deliver to
you personally, will explain the mat
ter
This was, however, not the case.
The note was but a short one, and
gave no reason for the testator's
wish, except that he had inherited
Waterdell Hall under the same stipu-
lation- that he had ever been thank